


Certain Dark Things

by GiggleSnortBangDead



Series: SCARY Bingo [2]
Category: Boyfriend to Death (Visual Novel)
Genre: Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Torture, Kissing, M/M, Stockholm Syndrome, Taxidermy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-28
Updated: 2016-08-28
Packaged: 2018-08-11 11:09:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7889161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GiggleSnortBangDead/pseuds/GiggleSnortBangDead
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ren snoops in the basement and doesn't like what he finds.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Certain Dark Things

**Author's Note:**

> Crossing off another one of my horror-kink bingo squares. This one was for Taxidermy Terror and Human Pet. Honestly Strade and Ren just kind of seemed perfect for this, if not the entirety of my bingo card. So I may use them more (or just flesh out this universe) to knock some other squares off. 
> 
> Ugh, and the title is from my favorite poem by Pablo Neruda, and I am so embarrassed to be using it but it just fits good, guys.

On most days, Ren was thankful to be alive. He had to be, or else it was all pointless. If he wasn't thankful, why didn't he got outside and shock himself to death? Or, better yet, play quiet fox like his momma had taught him in hopes his keeper might beat him until he could no longer think, and then no longer move, and then no longer breathe? Were these actions too difficult, too unwieldy? Did he stay alive out of fear of pain? 

No, he stayed alive because he was _thankful_.

And...

Maybe because he knew there was no chance of escape even after death. 

He learned this quickly after being collared, after acclimating himself to his new role as pet. Unable to fight his natural tendency for snooping around, he was as much a slave to his biology as Strade was, and his master would often explain that he was as removed from his humanity as Ren was; this being why they were perfect for one another. Strade was, biologically, a romantic. He felt things too deeply, his heart was easily swayed, and he often found himself overwhelmed by emotion. It wasn't his fault, the things this caused him to do, just like Ren could never be accountable for his curiosity. 

And, really, it wasn't like Strade was trying to hid anything. 

Ren found them in the cellar, behind the beam he'd been tied to when he was first taken, hidden in the shadow of the corner. He'd been too scared to venture back down after being released to the upper level of the house. But Strade left for long intervals, _days_ sometimes, and Ren got bored. He got scared. He had irrational fears that Strade had died or forgotten about him, and Ren would be stuck in the house with the collar on forever unless he found something to cut it off with. 

It was in searching through his master's tools that he found Strade's other pets. 

There were four in total; two dogs, a cat, and one bird, it's wings forever stretched in motionless flight. One dog sat while the other, much larger, stood on all four paws and watched on impassively. The cat stood beside them, it's tail swished in the air. The bird was mounted on a pedestal. 

Ren's heart thump-thumped its way into a panic. What were they doing here? Did Strade make them? Ren didn't want to even think about what stage of the process his keeper would have begun at; pre- or post-death. 

As it was, Ren could only look at them a few seconds longer before turning tail and running back upstairs to hide in a nest of blankets. Did his master have designs to add a fox to his collection? Would his body be left there, never found, stuck being looked at and touched by Strade and unable to even flinch back? 

In his dark den of soft, warm sheets, he felt chilled, nauseated, thinking about the glass eyes of each stiff. His heart wouldn't stop pounding, and his breathing picked up drastically. He curled up, light-headed, frozen under his pile of blankets, unmoving for who knew how long until Strade finally came home. 

"Buddy," he called from the door. He sounded curious, and for good reason. Ren had taken to greeting him, already lonely without a constant friend to stroke his ears and keep him company. Ren knew he needed to get up, to act like nothing was wrong, but he couldn't. His whole body felt like stone, and he was only vaguely connected to his rapidly spinning head. He closed his eyes, listened to the door shut and Strade step inside. He tried to exhale slowly. 

"Ren, are you hiding?" he called, and at least he didn't sound mad. He probably knew where he was anyway; Ren was hardly the most unpredictable pet. His master's were voice and footsteps closer than before. 

The covers were thrown back, Ren blinking up into the light and at Strade's wide, bright eyes and his twisted grin. "Found you!" he sang.

Ren couldn't think of anything to say or do, so he just lay there looking up at him and trying to breathe. 

Strade sat down beside him, his face pulling with concern. "Are you sick, fox?" he asked. he reached forward to press his hand to Ren's forehead, which Ren shrank away from. Strade just smiled and moved in. "You're warm." 

"Not sick." Ren finally said, voice very soft.

"No?" Strade hummed, and he pulled off Ren's glasses. He brushed his bangs to the side, flicked his fingertips over his cheeks, his lips. "Are you scared?" he asked like he really cared, like some part of him didn't want him to be scared.

Freezing once more, Ren said nothing. 

"Did you go into the basement?" he finally grinned, looking deranged with his pleasure. Whatever look Ren's face fell into was enough of an answer because Strade gripped his wrist with a brutal excitement and asked, "What did you see?"

"Your," Ren squeaked. He swallowed, tried not to stutter. "Your _pets_."

He laughed. Strade laughed and laughed and laughed. "They're not my pets." he said, and Ren almost felt himself calm, but his keeper continued. "I mean, they _were_ my pets. But they died." he explained, widening his eyes for emphasis. 

"Uhm," Ren tried to speak up. Strade waited patiently, pinching the skin on his inner wrist between his index and thumb, twisting it a little to make Ren's fingers twitch. "H-how? How did they - "

"They were so boring!" Strade told him. "I could hardly have any fun with them at all. After a while they just," he made some gesture with his hands. "Gave up on trying to amuse me." 

"And why did you..." 

"Keep them?" Strade supplied. He looked a little sad. "Well, I'd grown attached. You know how I am with my things." and he leaned in to kiss him, to make his point. 

Ren resisted, knowing he'd only be bold enough to ask for so long. Strade hummed, his grasp on his pet tightening, ready to roll him onto his stomach and teach him submission if needed. "If I start to bore you?" 

And Strade actually looked shocked. He pulled back a little. "How would you do that? We have fun, don't we?" and he offered a small smile. He looked so nice sometimes. 

"Of course," Ren stammered. "Of course, Strade. Yeah."

Realization lit his master's face. "I know what this is about," he said with no small amount of sympathy. "You're feeling neglected, aren't you buddy? I leave you alone for too long. You were looking for friends to play with, huh?" 

Ren didn't get it, but he nodded. Strade pulled him into his arms for a warm, tight hug. "Aw, buddy," he murmured. Ren closed his eyes, feeling safe. His master's voice, his soft accent, the scent of him in his nose and his breath against his ear - it all felt so comforting even if he knew how quickly that hand might turn to hurt him. 

"Well, don't worry anymore." Strade told him, pulling back so he could nip his fingers over Ren's nose. "I've been thinking about getting you a brother or a sister. Maybe even a human who could take care of you when I'm gone or working. Would you like that?" 

Momma Fox had always told him he didn't need a human to take care of him, but he was so _thankful_ to be alive. He bit his tongue and nodded. He even tried to smile. 

Strade said nothing more but kissed him again, and then sucked and bit at his lips. His fingers came up to card through his pet's hair, to stroke at his ears, and then to tug them viciously, wanting him to yelp. 

Ren yelped, and he screamed, and, at the end of all of it, he came and said thank you.

**Author's Note:**

> If you wanna kick it with me, feel free to hmu on [my tumbley](http://gigglesnortbangdead.tumblr.com/) (but honestly if you're into this kinda thing, you should probably just follow [my icky porn blog](http://schoolgirlblues.tumblr.com/)).


End file.
